A Lecture on Abundance

Proverbs 13:23 (KJV) Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.

There’s a theme going through this chapter in Proverbs.  It’s expressed many different ways.  It’s the idea that there is adequate resource in our world to take care of the needs of the people in it.  In response to that there are many reasons given for why people don’t have what they need.

This one is pretty indirect in one sense.  In another is very clear.  The NASB talks about oppression, which is another way of saying that there was no correct judgment.  The policies of government and the actions of the wealthy and powerful create conditions which really work against the benefit of common people.  Here the common people are identified as the poor.  In this case, it looks like they are the working, or deserving, poor.  They have the land.  They have the ability to produce food, but it is made impossible by social forces.

Another part of that is that sometimes people are too willing to take the handout of government and it siphons off any initiative and productivity they might have.  We’ve seen that in the recent restrictions on the welfare being given out by the government.  People have been conditioned to dependence.  They didn’t know how to function anymore when the government removed it’s helping hand.

So?  Be aware of the need for government responsibility but also the call for each and every one of us to do our part in providing for ourselves in our families.  

Lead On

Proverbs 12:26 (KJV) The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.

A surface reading of this verse tends to imply a kind of arrogant superiority that we have trouble with when we think of humility.  So I looked a little deeper.  The “excellent” of the KJV is “guide” in the NASB.  Neither one of those makes a lot of sense so I looked deeper into the meaning of the word and it seems to have the idea of searching.

So I’m guessing that the idea here is that the righteous, which should be us, are qualified to lead because they have looked into the basics of life, they have searched out and found truth.

So?  Is that a description of you and me?  Have we spent serious time looking to see what is really true and then based our life on it?  I would hope so.  If not, now is the time to start.  

The Big Picture

Proverbs 11:22 (KJV) As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

The idea of putting gold in a pig’s nose seems really strange to us today.  Is it any different than the way in which people will put diamond studded collars on cats or dogs?  Is it any different than someone who is eaten up with disease caused by a dissipate lifestyle might be driving a very expensive sports car?

We are often distracted by characteristics that stand out in our mind as being desirable.  We might look at the famous celebrity.  We see the fawning response of their fans.  We see the cheers and the waves.  What we don’t see is the inner loneliness or the children that are consumed by drugs.  We don’t see the liver eaten up by alcohol or the lungs rotted by tobacco.  We see the make up.  We see the carefully tailored clothes.  We see the glitter.  We see the gold in the pigs nose.

So?  God looks at the complete person.  We can only be truly complete when we live in Him and in His way.  Try to back off and focus on the big picture not just the glowing jewel. 

Talking Points

(1Pe 3:15 KJV)  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

(Proverbs 10 also read)

This is on my list of great Bible verses.  I have referred to it often in my walk.  I never considered that it would also apply in discussions with fellow believers.  Today I am looking at it in that light.

I have a fellow traveler who has some decidedly strong opinions that I disagree with.  He is so consumed with things that I consider “bottom of the bucket list” that he even got to the point of asking me if I believed in the trinity.  I am still not sure where that question came from but I think it was simply because I disagreed with him on his theological system.  I used to enjoy debating him because he came up with things I had never thought of and pressed me to think.  I am beginning to think that the debate is one way and his concern is to evangelize me to his point of view.

So?  I will continue to dialog but I am going to put more emphasis on the last two concepts of this verse.  And I need to leave my sense of humor in my pocket because he is dead serious.  

Some Things Are Worth Repeating

Proverbs 9:10 (KJV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Don’t tell me you’ve never heard this verse before.  The problem with verses we are familiar with, or truth that is often repeated, is that we get used to it and don’t stop to think about it.  It might be useful every month when I read through this chapter of Proverbs to stop and contemplate this as one of those great truths that needs to be reconsidered regularly.

I can’t guarantee I’ll still feel that way next month but right now I need to remind myself about the importance of the fear of the Lord.  This is a stew of ideas.  As in any good stew it has many ingredients and the more they influence each other, the longer they are cooked, the more they are reheated, they just get better.  So start with the craven fear that makes us tremble in the corner when we hear a noise in the dark.  We don’t like to think about that, but that might be a good place to start.  We live in a day where we get complacent and we have great security.  That makes us take things for granted.

So?  Let’s start there this week, this month, today.  God is so holy, so grand, so beyond our understanding that it behooves us to spend a moment trembling in the corner in fear.  Of course that is then mitigated by the fact that we know Jesus loves us, which means that God loves us.  We belong to Him.  That will help us come out of our corner. 

All Inclusive

Psalm 117:1 (KJV) O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

(Proverbs 8 also read)

One of my favorite past times has been debating dispensationalism with a friend.  He’s not just a dispensationist but a mid-Acts dispensationist.  That’s even more exclusive than being a dispensationalist if you can picture such a thing.

One of the points that he constantly likes to make is that the Old Testament was written for the Jews and does not apply to the rest of us.  He would allow that occasionally there’s a principal that should be considered, but usually those are principles that support his theological system so he’s a bit selective there.  Occasionally I come across versus like this that take his system and ask the question, “Have you read your Bible lately?”

You see, as I look at this I see two words that seem to imply being outside Israel.  The first one is “nations”.  This is a term in Hebrew that you may be familiar with, goy.  This is a word that is used almost insulting by Jews to refer to gentiles.  When you look at the scholarly definitions, it says it’s usually used for people outside of Israel.  That would mean you and me.

So I thought maybe this word “peoples” refers to Israel.  Not so.  It’s only used four times in the Old Testament and if you look them up each time, it is very clear that it is talking to people who are not Jews.

So?  At least in this one spot, it is very clear that God had all of us in mind as He was preparing the world for the coming of the Messiah.  Even in the days of the Old Testament, He was calling upon the whole world to praise Him.  Join me. 

Spur of the Moment

Proverbs 7:22 (KJV) He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

The KJV has here “straightway” for the NASB “suddenly”.  Since most of us don’t know what straightaway means it’s probably better to go with the more modern English.  Straight way would give us the idea of going directly.  It could have the concept of following your plan or looking at the goal post 100 yards away and running for all your worth for a touchdown.

That is not the concept.

The concept is that on the spur of the moment you decide you’re going to change direction or that you’re going to make a decision.  Sometimes these decisions are life-changing.  Sometimes they are eternity changing.  This is a sad story because the final verses talk about how this decision is sending him to Sheol or as we might say, hell.

Beware of hasty decisions.  I know when I’m around someone trying to sell me something and they tell me that they’re gonna give me this great deal, but I have to make my decision right now, I walk away.  If the great deal is legitimate it will be there later.

So?  Know the principles that you were living your life by.  You can only follow those if you have been reading them and understanding them.  And then stick to your guns.